MANILA, Philippines – Members of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) said they would be supporting Alan Peter Cayetano for as long as he was Speaker of the House of Representatives.  

This was the assurance given to Cayetano by 31 PDP-Laban lawmakers who met with him on Monday, March 9, as the the Speaker continued to accuse their party mate, Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco, of trying to oust him. 

Deputy Speaker Johnny Pimentel, the party’s spokesperson, told Rappler the nearly two-hour meeting was “very cordial.”

“Basically he told us the plans and programs of Congress. And thenwe told him that we would support him while he was the Speaker,” Pimentel said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Muntinlupa Representative Ruffy Biazon said Cayetano “encouraged” party members to cooperate with him while the latter’s term-sharing agreement with Velasco was still in place. 

“He said that’s all he is asking from us, and that when the agreed time for the transfer of leadership comes, we can throw our support to our party mate, Rep Velasco,” Biazon said.  

Noticeably absent from the meeting was Velasco, who is supposed to share terms with Cayetano under a 15-21 deal brokered by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte. The Marinduque congressman has denied attempting to unseat Cayetano.

Pimentel said there were plans for Velasco to meet separately with the Speaker, though it remains to be seen if the latter would even be open to such a meeting.

House insiders told Rappler that Cayetano and his allies were “maneuvering” to use Velasco’s alleged foiled coup attempt to scrap their term-sharing agreement. (READ: Is there a House coup or is Cayetano just out to scrap term-sharing with Velasco?)

Also missing from the meeting was Oriental Mindoro 1st District Representative Salvador Leachon, whom Cayetano had stripped of his key House post last week post after Leachon got embroiled in a word war with the Speaker’s loyal ally, Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte, over the alleged coup plot.

At its peak, PDP-Laban – whose chairman is Duterte himself – had 125 members in the House. Its roster has dwindled to 62 because of members jumping ship. (READ: As allies jump ship, PDP-Laban stalwart wants ‘balimbing’ ban) 

PDP-Laban’s influence in the House became even more tenuous when Cayetano, a Nacionalista Party member, accused Velasco of plotting his ouster. 

Even before his coup allegations against Velasco, Cayetano had long been saying he was open to serving the full 3 years of the 18th Congress as Speaker. He already told Velasco the latter would become Speaker only if the President himself say so. – Rappler.com